Disco de Incubus: “Alive at Red Rocks [Blu-Ray]”

Forget the days when Incubus simulated the sounds of Rage Against The Machine, Korn or the Red Hot Chili Peppers in their post-grunge days. Incubus is moving forward with their own brand of originality, making "Alive at Red Rocks" a must see.

"Fungus Amongus" (1995) brought the world a funkier version of Rage Against The Machine. 1997's "S.C.I.E.N.C.E." was a huge step forward. Although they jumped into the whole rap-metal mess with Limp Bizkit and Korn, the record was much more endearing, mainly due to the fact that the band's hip-hop influence came from the DJ as opposed to Brandon Boyd (singer). "Make Yourself" (1999) showed Incubus really settling into their sound, reminiscent of the Red Hot Chili Peppers' funk-rock style, sounding much more comfortable than their past efforts. It's also been their most successful mainstream hit to date. The lessons from "Make Yourself" definitely apply to their follow-up 2001 release of "Morning View", where they ditch the nu-metal/rap-metal sound and focus on expanding the sounds of "Make Yourself". "A Crow Left of the Murder" marks their most significant and welcomed change in years. You don't get the sense that Incubus sounds like other bands on this record, it simply sounds like Incubus; fresh, original and mind-blowing. If you are like myself, welcoming change in an artistically growing band, and not whining about how they should return to the rap/metal days of "S.C.I.E.N.C.E.", you are just gonna love this DVD!

Everyone in the band pulls their weight flawlessly in this concert. Every member gets their jaw dropping moments to shine in the show. Brandon Boyd has never sounded better, hitting those highs, lows and everything in between cleaner and clearer than ever. Ben Kenney (former Roots bassist) shows why he is definitely the man for the job, turning out gnarly bass solos, and a sweet drum solo in the percussion jaunt featured on "Vitamin". José Pasillas shocked the hell out of me with his killer drum solo also featured on "Vitamin". He is a much more talented drummer than I first thought. I don't even know where to start with the guitarist Mike Einziger. I've seen two other Incubus shows on DVD, and Mike baffled me this time. He has always been a fantastic guitarist, but you will never realize how good he actually is until you hear him belt out the solos on songs like "Priceless" and "Sick, Sad Little World". I was in awe of the speed, timing and precision he displayed. Since Incubus has a "jam band" side to them, those solos get stretched out like mad, making it even more enjoyable than the album versions. One of the main reasons I bought this DVD was to see how well Mike would be able to pull off the solo on "Sick, Sad Little World"; you will NOT be disappointed.

This is definitely Incubus' quintessential live performance. No die hard Incubus fan would be missing this DVD is their discography.

Rock group Incubus is at its finest in Alive at Red Rocks. Filmed during their 2004 U.S. summer tour, the DVD is packed with incredible footage of Incubus playing before a sold out awesome crowd playing a total of 19 memorable songs from albums such as Make Yourself, Morning View, and the recent A Crow Left of the Murder. Hardcore fans of the band will undoubtedly want this as a collector's dream. With concert footage extending more than an hour, Incubus plays their hearts out to the thousands of fans huddled in the beautiful venue of Red Rocks. Extra footage includes backstage and sound check features and included is a bonus audio CD featuring 3 newly recorded tracks (studio version of Pantomime, the single off the Halo 2 soundtrack Follow, and Monuments & Melodies recorded during the sessions of the band's latest record). But the heart of this DVD/CD combo is definitely the concert itself, filmed in numerous different camera views, and truly bringing the show directly to the viewer. While many of Incubus' well-known mainstream hits are played, it is the lesser-known songs that truly capture (at least for me) the awesome musical power that the band gives off. My 4 favorite moments in the DVD are Priceless (a perfect incredible drum and guitar solo that the band plays FLAWLESSLY), Vitamin (another incredible 3 man-drum solo between lead singer Brandon Boyd, bassist Ben Kenney and drummer Jose Pasillas III which concludes in a freestyle no-holds-barred drum solo by Pasillas), Wish You Were Here (which really shows the connection of Boyd to his die-hard fans as he turns the mic towards their direction during one of the last repeats of the chorus), and Pardon Me (an unbelivable ending song in which Boyd again brings the microphone towards the jam-packed crowd; there are a few moments found here and elsewhere where the crowd is actually heard singing loud than Boyd). There is also a feature of 5 visualizations that can be seen instead of the regular footage for the songs Just a Phase, Here in My Room, Pistola, Sick Sad Little World, and The Warmth. I personally felt that the songs from Make Yourself, really satisfied me the most, especially seeing guitarist Mike Einziger's smiles and reactions when seeing his fans sing along and rock to the music they have made over the past decade or so. The best DVD that Incubus has relased so far (others included The Morning View Sessions and When Incubus Attacks, Vol. 2), viewers of all ages and sizes will be able to appreciate and rock along with just how good of a musical force Incubus really is. A must-have for the holidays!

My son introduced me to music from Incubus and I`m so glad he did... This set includes the song I was able to play for my son`s memorial..Monuments and Melodies. It was one of my son`s favorite and it described him and his life so perfectly. We went to an Incubus concert together and when Brandon sings in person, he sounds just as good as recording,if not better! Thank you to Incubus for this song and so many others I relate to.

After I wrote this review, I read other's reviews and thought some were much better than mine, much more expressive. specially Mr. censored's review, you sould read it.It's posted December 2004.

The important thing is that you read 3 or 4 reviews and see that nobody is kidding you. This concert is fantastic.

Ok now my unedited review:

This is the greatest incubus DVD I've seen, and the greatest Incubus thing that I have ever experienced.

I've known Incubus for some time now and I can tell you its a great concert, you can really tell how professional the band members are.

Throughout the concert you will see extended versions of songs, solos by Mike Einziger and José Pasillas.

You will experience Incubus as it is, full of energy and power.

you can tell these guys are good 'cause the live versions are identical to the recorded versions, but they have that special "live" feel. Or should I say "alive"?

This is a must for anyone who admires or likes Incubus.

This is a very good blueray. All of the audio is very very good. I'm listening to it on a Pioneer VSX 1018 biwired to Eosone rsf-600's. Simply amazing, sounds better than a lot of concerts i've been to.